Summer Dangers - Foxtails, Giant Toads & Mushrooms
Danger - Foxtails
Most people living in the Eastern U.S. haven't heard of foxtails and how dangerous they can be to dogs. Foxtails are grass-like weeds which resemble the tails of foxes and are usually found only in states west of the Mississippi. Southern California has a variety of wild grasses with similar characteristics. These annual grasses are often found in weedy areas along paths and roads. From January until about March or early April, they are soft and green. In late spring, however, the seed heads begin to dry and the the danger begins, lasting throughout the summer until fall rains. The telltale symptoms.... Depending on the location of the seed or seeds, other symptoms are compulsive licking and biting at a paw or around the groin or rectal area or whining and crying with no obvious or acute injury. In addition to causing pain and localized infections, foxtail seeds can migrate and lodge in the spine, in the lungs and in other internal organs. They enter through the nose, ears, paws, eyes, urethra or just through the skin and travel through the body The seeds are very small, making locating them a painful, difficult and expensive procedure. Depending on where a foxtail seed has traveled to inside a dog, it can even be life threatening and will require prompt surgical removal. An inhaled foxtail seed which has lodged in the nasal cavity may cause violent sneezing, sometimes with a bloody discharge from the nostrils. To remove it, a veterinarian may need to sedate the animal, locate the seed with a scope, and remove it with a forceps. Swallowed foxtail seeds lodged in the throat will cause symptoms of an inflamed sore throat. A dog will swallow repeatedly, gulp, cough and gag. Even if the barbed seeds can be detected on examination, the dog will need to be sedated to relax the throat muscles so a veterinarian can grasp the seeds and remove them. Prevent foxtail tragedies.... If your dog has been outdoors in an area possibly infested with foxtails...... If you live in an area where foxtails grow, or if you're planning to travel west with your dog this summer, especially to California or other Southwestern states, learn how to identify these deadly wild grasses so you can avoid them. For pictures and more information, see ---- Danger - Giant Toads Toads secrete a substance that can irritate a dog's eyes or tongue. Catching and chewing a toad can cause excessive salivation and sometimes disorientation, but usually nothing very serious. If your dog has caught a toad, flushing his mouth with water to relieve the unpleasant symptoms is usually all that's needed. But...... there are some Deadly exceptions! Unlike other toads who only eat live, moving insects, giant toads will climb into outdoor food bowls and eat dog food. This leads to toad catching and canine poisoning. There have even been rare cases where giant toads have just sat on the rim of a dog’s water dish and left enough toxin to make the dog sick. Drooling, head shaking, pawing at the mouth, crying, and attempting to vomit are some symptoms that a pet has had contact with these toads. Symptoms of toad poisoning in dogs can include heavy drooling, head-shaking, vomiting, diarrhea, bright red gums, weakness, loss of coordination, fever, irregular heartbeat, difficult breathing, tightly clamped jaws, convulsions, and even death. Veterinary treatment, among other measures, might include an EKG to detect an abnormal heart rhythm and, if present, cardiac medication to combat it.; medication to reduce fever, medication to control seizures and IV fluids. If you live in an area where giant toads can be found, there are some things you can do to protect your dog from a tragic encounter with them. To read more about these poisonous amphibians, see... Danger - Poisonous Mushrooms If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms... If you catch him in the act - you actually see the dog starting to eat them.... If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms, but there is short delay in realizing what has happened... If your dog has eaten poisonous mushrooms, and symptoms have already begun.... Protect Your Pets... It can be very difficult to tell the difference between poisonous and edible mushrooms, and even harder to describe them over the telephone. See the following sources for more information about poisonous mushrooms, including pictures to help identify them. Losing Destinee -A Mushroom Horror Story
The seeds of the drying or dried grasses detach from the plant and stick to a person's clothes or an animal's hair. They can easily become lodged between a dogs toes, in its ears, and in its eyes. Since the seeds are barbed like a fish hook, they can be very difficult to remove. Once embedded, foxtail seeds cause severe infections and abcesses.
A foxtail seed can cause an inflamed, painful, infected lump anywhere on an animal's body. A dog with a foxtail seed in its ear might rub its head on the ground or shake its head violently from side to side. If a dog gets a foxtail seed in its eye, it might squint. The eye will water and the dog will paw at it. Even if you can clearly see the seed beneath the eyelid, do not attempt to remove it. Get the dog to a veterinarian immediately.
A Dog Owners' Guide to California Foxtails
Foxtails Can Be Hazardous to Your Pet's Health
Several species of giant toads are a serious threat to pets. The Colorado River Toad, found in Southwestern states from Arizona to Southern California, and the Giant Brown Toad (also known as Marine Toads, Cane Toads or Bufo Toads) found in South Texas and Florida, are the two most common poisonous toads in the U.S. There are also a large number of Bufo Toads in Hawaii. These giant toads can grow to be 4" to about 9" long and to weigh more than 2 pounds.
Encounter With Giant Toad Costs Family Dog Its Life
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Cane Toads, Giant Toads or Marine Toads
Protect your dog from poisonous cane toads
The Danger of Red Back Spiders and Toads
Many pet owners don't realize that some of the mushrooms that grow in their yard are toxic to dogs and can even be fatal. Dogs who like to "graze" will sometimes eat wild mushrooms along with lawn grasses, leading to mushroom poisoning. Dogs can sometimes become ill by just licking a poisonous mushroom. Some dogs, like some people, are allergic to even edible, normally safe mushrooms. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can range from mild vomiting and diarrhea to severe digestive problems to complete liver failure.
Syrup of ipecac (1 teaspoonful per 10 pounds of body weight), or
Hydrogen Peroxide 3% - 1 tablespoon every 10 minutes, repeat 3 times.
Always watch for mushrooms in areas where you walk your dogs or where they run and play. Be especially cautious of parasol-shaped mushrooms and all small brown mushrooms. Check your yard each morning, especially in damp weather, for new growth before letting your dog outside. Remember that new mushrooms can appear overnight. Whenever you find mushrooms in your yard, dig them up. Smashing or kicking them spreads the spores and even more will grow.
Facts and Fiction About Mushroom Identification?
Edible & Poisonous Mushrooms
Wild Mushrooms and Poisoning
Magic Mushrooms Net Identification Guide
If you stop using flea and tick prevention over the winter months, don't forget to begin using it again in early spring. 
Spring Wellness Kit For Dogs
Help your dog enjoy life, maintain optimum health, and get your dog ready for Spring with five items for healthy head-to-paw care at an incredible savings! For a brilliantly clean coat, gently shampoo your dog with 1-800-PetMeds Shampoo. This oatmeal and aloe vera shampoo will not remove topical flea and tick medications, but it will clean away debris while it soothes the skin. Breath Refresher with parsley, papain and chlorophyll and Greenies, a chewable treat will tackle tartar and bad breath. 1-800-PetMeds Ear Cleanser, cleans, acidifies and deodorizes. 1-800-PetMeds VitaChews is a liver-flavored vitamin and mineral supplement.
You Should Also Read:
Spring and Summer Safety - Part One
A Dog Lovers Guide to the Internet
Dogs' Online Shopping Guide
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